diff --git a/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/OsmPath.java b/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/OsmPath.java
index fe8da57..1771858 100644
--- a/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/OsmPath.java
+++ b/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/OsmPath.java
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ final class OsmPath implements OsmLinkHolder
   // if the corresponding node has not
   public short selev;
 
-  private static final int MAX_EHB = 10000000;
-
   public int adjustedCost = 0;
 
   public void setAirDistanceCostAdjustment( int costAdjustment )
@@ -199,30 +197,60 @@ final class OsmPath implements OsmLinkHolder
         ehbu += (ele2 - ele1)*elefactor - dist * rc.uphillcutoff;
       }
 
-      if ( ehbd > MAX_EHB )
+      float downweight = 0.f;
+      if ( ehbd > rc.elevationpenaltybuffer )
       {
+         downweight = 1.f;
+
+         int excess = ehbd - rc.elevationpenaltybuffer;
+         int reduce = dist * rc.elevationbufferreduce;
+         if ( reduce > excess )
+         {
+           downweight = ((float)reduce)/excess;
+           reduce = excess;
+         }
+         excess = ehbd - rc.elevationmaxbuffer;
+         if ( reduce < excess )
+         {
+           reduce = excess;
+         }
+         ehbd -= reduce;
          if ( rc.downhillcostdiv > 0 )
          {
-           int elevationCost = (ehbd-MAX_EHB)/rc.downhillcostdiv;
+           int elevationCost = reduce/rc.downhillcostdiv;
            cost += elevationCost;
            linkelevationcost += elevationCost;
          }
-         ehbd = MAX_EHB;
       }
       else if ( ehbd < 0 )
       {
         ehbd = 0;
       }
 
-      if ( ehbu > MAX_EHB )
+      float upweight = 0.f;
+      if ( ehbu > rc.elevationpenaltybuffer )
       {
-         if ( rc.uphillcostdiv > 0 )
-         {
-           int elevationCost = (ehbu-MAX_EHB)/rc.uphillcostdiv;
-           cost += elevationCost;
-           linkelevationcost += elevationCost;
-         }
-         ehbu = MAX_EHB;
+        upweight = 1.f;
+
+        int excess = ehbu - rc.elevationpenaltybuffer;
+        int reduce = dist * rc.elevationbufferreduce;
+        if ( reduce > excess )
+        {
+          upweight = ((float)reduce)/excess;
+          reduce = excess;
+        }
+        excess = ehbu - rc.elevationmaxbuffer;
+        if ( reduce < excess )
+        {
+          reduce = excess;
+        }
+        ehbu -= reduce;
+        if ( rc.uphillcostdiv > 0 )
+        {
+          int elevationCost = reduce/rc.uphillcostdiv;
+          cost += elevationCost;
+          linkelevationcost += elevationCost;
+        }
       }
       else if ( ehbu < 0 )
       {
@@ -230,9 +258,16 @@ final class OsmPath implements OsmLinkHolder
       }
 
       // *** penalty for distance
-      float costfactor = rc.expctxWay.getCostfactor();
+      float cfup = rc.expctxWay.getUphillCostfactor();
+      float cfdown = rc.expctxWay.getDownhillCostfactor();
+      float cf = rc.expctxWay.getCostfactor();
+
+      cfup = cfup == 0.f ? cf : cfup;
+      cfdown = cfdown == 0.f ? cf : cfdown;
+      
+      float costfactor = cfup*upweight + cf*(1.f - upweight - downweight) + cfdown*downweight;
       float fcost = dist * costfactor + 0.5f;
-      if ( costfactor >= 10000. || fcost + cost >= 2000000000. )
+      if ( cf >= 10000. || fcost + cost >= 2000000000. )
       {
         cost = -1;
         return;
@@ -241,10 +276,10 @@ final class OsmPath implements OsmLinkHolder
       cost += waycost;
 
       // *** add initial cost if factor changed
-      float costdiff = costfactor - lastCostfactor;
+      float costdiff = cf - lastCostfactor;
       if ( costdiff > 0.0005 || costdiff < -0.0005 )
       {
-          lastCostfactor = costfactor;
+          lastCostfactor = cf;
           float initialcost = rc.expctxWay.getInitialcost();
           int iicost = (int)initialcost;
           cost += iicost;
@@ -252,7 +287,8 @@ final class OsmPath implements OsmLinkHolder
 
       if ( recordTransferNodes )
       {
-        int iCost = (int)(rc.expctxWay.getCostfactor()*1000 + 0.5f);
+        int iCost = (int)(costfactor*1000 + 0.5f);
+        //int iCost = (int)(rc.expctxWay.getCostfactor()*1000 + 0.5f);
         lastMessage = (lon2-180000000) + "\t"
                     + (lat2-90000000) + "\t"
                     + ele2/4 + "\t"
diff --git a/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/RoutingContext.java b/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/RoutingContext.java
index 7792786..3a70589 100644
--- a/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/RoutingContext.java
+++ b/brouter-core/src/main/java/btools/router/RoutingContext.java
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ public final class RoutingContext implements DistanceChecker
   public boolean carMode;
   public double pass1coefficient;
   public double pass2coefficient;
+  public int elevationpenaltybuffer;
+  public int elevationmaxbuffer;
+  public int elevationbufferreduce;
   
   public void readGlobalConfig( BExpressionContext expctxGlobal )
   {
@@ -59,6 +62,9 @@ public final class RoutingContext implements DistanceChecker
     carMode = 0.f != expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "validForCars", 0.f );
     pass1coefficient = expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "pass1coefficient", 1.5f );
     pass2coefficient = expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "pass2coefficient", 0.f );
+    elevationpenaltybuffer = (int)(expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "elevationpenaltybuffer", 10.f )*1000000);
+    elevationmaxbuffer = (int)(expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "elevationmaxbuffer", 10.f )*1000000);
+    elevationbufferreduce = (int)(expctxGlobal.getVariableValue( "elevationbufferreduce", 1.f )*10000);
   }
 
   public RoutingMessageHandler messageHandler = new RoutingMessageHandler();
diff --git a/brouter-expressions/src/main/java/btools/expressions/BExpressionContext.java b/brouter-expressions/src/main/java/btools/expressions/BExpressionContext.java
index 81a56d6..4eb2716 100644
--- a/brouter-expressions/src/main/java/btools/expressions/BExpressionContext.java
+++ b/brouter-expressions/src/main/java/btools/expressions/BExpressionContext.java
@@ -60,16 +60,22 @@ public final class BExpressionContext
   // build-in variable indexes for fast access
   private int costfactorIdx;
   private int turncostIdx;
+  private int uphillcostfactorIdx;
+  private int downhillcostfactorIdx;
   private int initialcostIdx;
   private int nodeaccessgrantedIdx;
 
   private float[] _arrayCostfactor;
   private float[] _arrayTurncost;
+  private float[] _arrayUphillCostfactor;
+  private float[] _arrayDownhillCostfactor;
   private float[] _arrayInitialcost;
   private float[] _arrayNodeAccessGranted;
 
   public float getCostfactor() { return _arrayCostfactor[currentHashBucket]; }
   public float getTurncost() { return _arrayTurncost[currentHashBucket]; }
+  public float getUphillCostfactor() { return _arrayUphillCostfactor[currentHashBucket]; }
+  public float getDownhillCostfactor() { return _arrayDownhillCostfactor[currentHashBucket]; }
   public float getInitialcost() { return _arrayInitialcost[currentHashBucket]; }
   public float getNodeAccessGranted() { return _arrayNodeAccessGranted[currentHashBucket]; }
 
@@ -102,6 +108,8 @@ public final class BExpressionContext
 
     _arrayCostfactor = new float[hashSize];
     _arrayTurncost = new float[hashSize];
+    _arrayUphillCostfactor = new float[hashSize];
+    _arrayDownhillCostfactor = new float[hashSize];
     _arrayInitialcost = new float[hashSize];
     _arrayNodeAccessGranted = new float[hashSize];
   }
@@ -423,6 +431,8 @@ public final class BExpressionContext
 
      _arrayCostfactor[currentHashBucket] = variableData[costfactorIdx];
      _arrayTurncost[currentHashBucket] = variableData[turncostIdx];
+     _arrayUphillCostfactor[currentHashBucket] = variableData[uphillcostfactorIdx];
+     _arrayDownhillCostfactor[currentHashBucket] = variableData[downhillcostfactorIdx];
      _arrayInitialcost[currentHashBucket] = variableData[initialcostIdx];
      _arrayNodeAccessGranted[currentHashBucket] = variableData[nodeaccessgrantedIdx];
 
@@ -608,9 +618,12 @@ public final class BExpressionContext
 
       costfactorIdx = getVariableIdx( "costfactor", true );
       turncostIdx = getVariableIdx( "turncost", true );
+      uphillcostfactorIdx = getVariableIdx( "uphillcostfactor", true );
+      downhillcostfactorIdx = getVariableIdx( "downhillcostfactor", true );
       initialcostIdx = getVariableIdx( "initialcost", true );
       nodeaccessgrantedIdx = getVariableIdx( "nodeaccessgranted", true );
 
+
       expressionList = _parseFile( file );
       float[] readOnlyData = variableData;
       variableData = new float[variableNumbers.size()];